Ever wondered what restaurant professionals go through when faced with difficult diners? Or what tactics they use to get you to order more? Or, why has dining out become so expensive? These questions and more have certainly come to our minds, so we reached out to chefs and restaurateurs for the answers. Here’s what they had to say.
WHAT’S THE MOST ABSURD REQUEST YOU’VE RECEIVED FROM A DINER?
“‘I have aged parents. Can you reserve a car park lot that’s just in front of your restaurant, so they don’t have to walk?’” I said that we’re in a public building, so I’m really sorry, but I cannot help you.”
Damian D’Silva, chef-owner, Rempapa
“Recently, a guest asked me to purchase ketchup for him from a supermarket because we don't serve it in the restaurant. While we always endeavour to oblige, in this instance, he was particularly rude, and we had to firmly but politely decline his request.”
Giuseppe Frascolla, general manager, Duomo Ristorante
DO YOU GET TIRED OF COOKING THE SAME DISHES EVERY DAY?
“Not at all. Our menu at Cicheti has featured a lot of mainstays since day one, which keeps us on our toes. We always look for ways to improve and deepen their flavour profile and achieve amazing texture. Just because a dish has been on our menu for years does not mean we give it any less attention than a new dish.”
Lim Yew Aun, chef and co-owner, Cicheti Group
WHAT’S THE RUDEST BEHAVIOUR YOU’VE ENCOUNTERED FROM A DINER?
“One day, well after dinner service, when our restaurant was closed, a woman barged in with her husband and son and demanded that we serve her because she couldn’t get a reservation. She refused to leave and dragged two tables together, joining them and telling her husband and son to sit down.
"After a lot of back and forth and explaining to her that we were closed, I eventually relented and served them a meal. My team was extremely unhappy with me for relenting, and rightfully so – we had already worked 12 hours straight and were about to go home. I should never have condoned that behaviour and I’ll never do it again.”
Mirko Febbrile, chef and co-owner, Fico
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SAY TO CUSTOMERS TO THEIR FACES?
“That the person serving you is just as human as you are, that they are likely the sole breadwinner for a large family back home, or a mother who is working overseas and has sacrificed being there for her child to earn a living. Be kind, be patient with them. They are only trying their best.”
Liling Ong, co-owner, Cicheti Group
IT’S OFTEN SAID SINGAPOREANS ARE SOME OF THE MOST ENTITLED CUSTOMERS – DO YOU AGREE?
“There are definitely parts where we feel that Singaporean customers are hard to please. Personally, at my level, it’s not so much that they demand or require specific things, but rather that they have certain expectations of food because they are very well-travelled, well-educated and well-informed. When you are at this level, you always hope that, wherever you go, the amount you pay meets those expectations.
"For me, it’s not a bad thing because I feel that having expectations means that there are standards we should aim for. However, there are times when customers are not very well-informed but pretend they are, which can cause misinformation. Ultimately, it’s not about the customers but how we handle situations. If we are in service and know how to manage them, the responsibility lies more with us than with them.”
Dylan Ong, chef-owner, The Masses & Choon Hoy Parlour
“It’s lovely to serve Singaporean customers. But we’ve seen instances of inappropriate etiquette. While dining with us, some customers talk about other restaurants or chefs. That’s fine, (until) the conversation turns to comparing their experiences in these restaurants with Hashida, right in front of us.
"We’ve also had children watch movies or play games while eating. Worse still are parents who do the same and play puzzle games during the meal. And during the Pokemon Go craze, when I saw customers using their phones, I thought they were taking our pictures. They were actually just catching Pokemon at our restaurant.”
Chef Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida, chef-owner, Hashida Singapore
WHY DO SOME RESTAURANTS FEEL COMPELLED TO SERVE EVERY DISH WITH A LENGTHY INTRODUCTION?
“This is probably more so for fine dining, where the chef seeks to have their personalities and thought processes come through the dishes. A beautifully plated dish may not speak for itself, and some of these dishes look deceptively simple compared to the blood, sweat, and tears poured into them.
"My team and I go with the flow – diners interested in knowing more will be given an extended explanation. Conversely, we keep the explanation brief for diners engaged in business discussions or private conversations. Also, rather than listing every component, we focus on what brings the dish together and its inspiration.”
Louis Han, chef founder, Neu:um Group
“I like to give a brief description for guests to know the effort and thought behind the dish, especially the sourcing of ingredients, and why sustainability is important to us. Or sometimes, there are dishes inspired by childhood memories that I hope would be a way of sharing my Hawaiian heritage with our guests to give them a better understanding of where our zero-waste and whole animal philosophy and influences come from. We let the food speak for itself and believe that every bit of guest interaction, like these one- to two-liner introductions (we won’t write a poem about a dish), will enhance the overall dining experience.”
Jordan Keao, chef de cuisine, Butcher’s Block
IS IT TRUE THAT DAILY SPECIALS ARE A WAY TO USE INGREDIENTS ALMOST PAST THEIR PRIME?
“It’s not true for everyone. Some restaurants may create specials to use up soon-to-expire ingredients. However, I believe that is generally an old culture. In recent times, and especially in fine dining, most chefs only choose to serve the best ingredients at their prime.”
Araki Takeshi, head chef, Esora
WHY DO RESTAURANTS CHARGE FOR WATER? WHY CAN’T THEY SERVE COMPLIMENTARY TAP WATER?
“We understand some diners prefer water with their meal instead of wine or beer. However, tap water can negatively alter the delicate taste of live oysters. To ensure a pleasant dining experience, we serve unlimited premium Nordaq water. However, we do not want to profit from water sales. We decided that with water sales, 80 per cent of the proceeds will go towards The Helping Hand charity, supporting a good cause.”
Jezzle Meier, operations director, Angie’s
“If restaurants use a quality water filter, we pay anything from S$1,000 to S$3,000 monthly for it. When you factor in wear and tear, which at restaurants oscillate around S$50 to S$200 a month, plus human hours, plus a series of minor costs that aren’t accounted for… it works out to a good amount of money. Even tap water as a product isn’t free if one is to be extremely technical. But we don’t charge for water at our restaurant. The price is absorbed through the menu.
Chef “X”
WHAT TECHNIQUES DO RESTAURANTS USE TO MAKE US ORDER MORE?
“Our service crew provides suggestions and sincere recommendations geared to serving guests based on their personal favourites and our signature items. Instead of pushing only expensive dishes, which we do not believe works, we provide set/communal menus with a higher perceived value that will be able to attract orders, improve average spending and create efficiencies in operations. The most common technique is the concept of "add-ons", such as topping up a certain amount for drinks, soup or side dishes.”
Christopher Millar, senior director of international business development, 1-Group
WHAT DO YOU WISH DINERS KNEW ABOUT YOUR WORK/BUSINESS?
“How labour-intensive and costly it is to maintain a full supporting crew. Irrespective of whether you're a hawker or a Michelin-starred restaurant, you have to make a profit. More importantly, it must be worth your time and effort, and whatever you do, your diners must always leave happy.”
Damian D’Silva, chef-owner, Rempapa
“I wish people knew about a restaurant’s bottom line. It’s basically tight – if you make 10 to 12 per cent at the end of the year, you’re happy. For any other company, you do 20, 25, 30 and 40 per cent (profits), which is the norm. What would (those companies) think if they only made 10 or 20 per cent? The fine dining industry is for crazy people. You have to be a bit crazy and very passionate. You do it for people and because you love it. But honestly, if you have cash, don’t open a restaurant. Do something else!”
Julien Royer, chef and co-owner, Odette and Claudine
WHAT DO YOU WISH CUSTOMERS WOULD STOP DOING?
“It’s not unusual for customers to ask for pictures of me or with me. But I don’t like it when they request specific poses, hand gestures, or for me to smile more! I’m happy to take pictures, but I don’t like it when that happens.”
Kenjiro “Hatch” Hashida, chef-owner, Hashida Singapore
DO KITCHEN STAFF REALLY SPIT ON OR MESS WITH THE FOOD OF DIFFICULT DINERS?
“Complete myth on my end! I've never done it or seen any chef who would dare to do it. As a group, we do not condone such behaviour!”
Christopher Millar, senior director of international business development, 1-Group
“We don’t condone such behaviour in our outlets, and while I may be biased, I’m sure this is not an acceptable practice across the industry. I personally feel that myths like this hurt the industry as a whole, and all it does is erode the trust between customers and restaurants unnecessarily.”
Lim Yew Aun, chef and co-owner, Cicheti Group
THE PRICE OF FINE DINING IS ASTRONOMICAL THESE DAYS. DON’T YOU THINK IT’S PRICE-GOUGING?
“It’s not. At least, most aren’t. Costs are tremendously high, and at a fine dining level, restaurants oscillate at a ludicrous profit of around 10 to 17 per cent (provided there is a profit). Wall to wall, it is a very difficult business. Gouging, believe it or not, is actually tremendously possible at a casual and fine-casual level. Their ingredients aren’t entirely scrutinised by guests with lower expectations, and most of the appeal lies in the comfort factor of dishes. These restaurants can mark (up) their products to unimaginable levels.
"Take pizza and pasta, for example. With items costing an average of S$3 to S$6 per dish, their margin is enormous. The dining sector has suffered a great slowdown and where economy of scale used to apply to food costs, casual restaurants are now forced to charge more to compensate for the lack of customers. This is a difficult moment for the industry."
Chef “Y”